Humidifier



Feb. 11, 1936. L. KRESSER HUMIDIFIBR Filed Sept. 20, 1933 I VIII/Illlllll will!!! INVENTOR. e0 K/d'SLSe BY Q. )4. $4 424 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE American Bosch Corporation,

Springfield,

Mass, a corporation of New York Application September 20, 1933, Serial No. 690,179

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in humidifiers; and has for an object thereof to provide a humidifier which will efiectively moisten the air of a living room, shop or ofiice, operate 5 noiselessly, and be of large capacity but relatively small insize.

The nature and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description and the novel features are pointed out in the appended claims; but the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in various details without departing from the principle of the invention or exceeding the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

On the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view with some of the parts broken away to reveal the interior construction of a humidifier according to this invention;

Fig. 2 shows a detail in section indicating the means for impelling water particles into the air in a state of fine division; and

Fig. 3 shows the method of mounting the principal draft fan employed in the practice of my 5 invention.

The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

The members by which humidification of air is accomplished are built into a decorative cabinet 30 indicated at I, which may have the appearance of a piece of furniture so that it can be placed in a living room or office. The casing or cabinet I is substantially open at the bottom and encloses at the lower part thereof a draft fan 2, above 35 which is the water tank or reservoir 3. This tank has a conical bottom. It is supported within the cabinet with spaces between its periphery and the inside surfaces of the walls thereof; so that air drawn in through the open bottom of the cab- 40 mat is forced between the cabinet I and the reservoir 3. In the top of the reservoir 3 is an opening and on said top extending around the edge of this opening is a base ring 4 having a flange which projects downward into the reser- 45 voir 3. At 5 is shown an electric motor held in position on the top of the tank 3, and below this motor and revolved thereby is a centrifugal disk 6 over which a film of water spreads in practice and from the periphery of which the water is 50 thrown in the form of a spray. Enveloping the motor is a basin cover I, the lower end of which telescopes within the rim of a basin 8 which rests upon a rubber pad or gasket 9 upon the base ring 4. Aflixed to the underside of the centrifugal 55 disk or plate 6 is a cone member or piece of conical tubing II] which extends downward from the disk and projects into the contents of the reservoir 3. Over the motor and enveloped by the basin cover I is a hood i I between which and the basin cover is an annular space open at the top 5 through which the humidified air flows and is discharged at the upper part of the humidifier into the room. Within the cabinet and supported by the walls thereof is a humidistat l2, and the reservoir 3 also contains a float [3 which 10 is connected to an outside knob or indicator M to show the depth of the water in the tank 3; and a switch l5 may be mounted on the inside of the cabinet to control the circuits of the motor 5 and the motor l6 of the fan 2; so that the ap- 15 paratus can be started and stopped at will.

The casing of the motor I6 is secured to a plate ll mounted on a support or strip dB for the fan extending across the bottom of the cabinet from one side to the other. Between the ends of the 20 strip l8 and the cabinet I are rubber washers or cushions l9 and similar cushions or rubber bushings may be employed between the studs attached to the casing of the fan motor l6 and the strips ll and I8. Thisconstruction eliminates all noise and vibration caused by deficiency in balance of the running parts or changes in air motions, so that they are not transmitted to the cabinet I. A guard 20 may surround the fan 2, being secured to the top of the casing of the motor 16.

The bottom of the basin 8 has an opening 2! and the centrifugal disk ii has a central opening 22 which communicates with the inside of the conical tube I'll secured to the lower face of the disk. The disk 6 is above the bottom of the basin 8 and the cone IU passes downward through the large opening 2!. On top of this disk is a central head 23 to which the lower end of the vertical shaft 24 of the motor 5 is made fast. This head has an opening in line with the opening 22 to receive the end of the shaft 24, the opening having a rim which is secured to the shaft by a binding screw 25. Between the motor 5 and disk 5 is a plate 26 having 'a downturned rim 2! which is received within a shoulder 28 at the bottom of the basin 8. This shoulder surrounds the depressed portion of the bottom of the basin in which the hole 2! is located. The rim 2! is higher than the annular shoulder 28 and this rim is cut to provide portions 29 which are bent inward towards the periphery of the disk 6 and form guide vanes between which the fine particles of water, thrown off from the periphery of the disk 6, may be propelled, and discharged through openings 3B in the rim 2'! into the bottom of the space between the basin 8 and its cover I and the motor hood or cover I I. This motor cover is also supported upon the plate 26 which has an annular shoulder 3| at its top around which the lower end of the hood I I fits; the shoulder in .question forming a step 32 which supports the motor cover II. The vanes 29 and openings 30 may be in any suitable number or have any desired shape or location.

In operation when the motor is revolved it rotates the disk 6 and tube I0. Water is drawn up through the cone Ill, passes through the central opening 22 in the disk 6 and out at the top thereof between the centrifugal disk 6 and the head 23. The water spreads out in the form of a film on the top surface of the disk 6, is thrown from the periphery thereof against the vanes 29 and passes out through the openings 30 in the form of a mist. This mist is produced by small particles of water mixing with air flowing up through the opening 2I and out with the water through the openings 39. This mist fills the space between the motor cover It and the basin 8 and basin cover I. Also air is driven upward by the fan 2 between-the walls of the cabinet and the tank 3 and this air fills the space between the walls of the cabinet and the'top of the dome 34 in the upper part of the cabinet. This dome rests upon a flange or shoulder surrounding the base ring 4 on the top of the tank 3. Hence the mist is drawn outby the air, which becomes charged with it and the air forms a protecting screen around the mist, which flows in a steady stream out of the upper end of the basin cover I. Above the cabinet the current of air prevents the mist from falling down and absorbs the mist entirely so that it does not deposit on nearby furniture or draperies. Head 23 is held separated from the disk 6 by spacers 23' which are secured by bolts or rivets passing through the head, the spacers, and a flange at the top of the tube II).

The float I3 is attached to a rod 35 which is guided in bearings 36 on the top of the tank. The rod extends out of the tank and through these bearings and is bent at its upper end to pass out through a vertical slot 31 in the side of the cabinet; carrying the knob I4 on its outer extremity.

The tank is supported in the cabinet I on wooden blocks 38 by means of angle-shaped lugs 39 secured to the tank and aflixed to the blocks 38. Ruber cushions 40 may be between the blocks and the lugs which are at each corner of the cabinet. At the bottom the cabinet'is provided with feet or lugs 4I so that the walls are spaced from the floor.

The humidistat I2 controls the operation of the humidifier and is located in the path of the air between the walls of the cabinet and the dome 34. The air is takenfrom that in the room and is in the best average condition. Hence the humidistat responds quickly to any change in the state of the air in the room. Of course the manner in which the float is secured to the rod 35 can be changed at will and other details of construction can likewise be altered.

The humidifier operates without vibrationor noise of any kind and will give a very great humidifying effect, its capacity being at least twice that of an ordinary humidifier of the same size. The air which is driven by the fan 2 passes through the cabinet and past the tank 3 and expands in the upper part converging towards the top of the basin cover I which is filled with mist so that the mist is withdrawn, and disseminated through the mass of the air, and a very large humidifying effect is thus obtained.

At 42 are shown the posts for supporting the motor I6 and fan 2 and at 43 are the cushioning means arranged between the nuts and flanges on these posts above and below the plate I1 and part I8 to prevent as far as possible the transmission of vibrations to the support I8 and cabinet I.

The motor may have a fan 44 under the hood II.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A humidifier comprising a cabinet, a water reservoir in said cabinet spaced from the inner side surfaces thereof, means for propelling a draft of air between said reservoir and said surfaces, the reservoir having an opening in the top, a basin in said opening, a cover having an outlet neck for the basin, a plate having a downturned rim resting upon the bottom of the basin, a motor on said plate, a centrifugal disk between I said plate and the basin connected to be rotated by the motor and a tubular member projecting downward from said disk through an opening in the bottom of the basin into the reservoir, said disk having a central opening through which water can be drawn by way of said member to the top surface of the disk.

2. A humidifier comprising a cabinet, a water reservoir in said cabinet spaced from the inner side surfaces thereof, means for propelling a draft of air between said reservoir and said surfaces, the reservoir having an opening in the top, a basin in said opening, a cover having an outlet neck for the basin, a plate having a downturned rim resting upon the bottom of the basin, a motor resting on said plate, a centrifugal disk between said plate and the basin connected to be rotated by the motor and a tubular member projecting downward from said disk through an opening in the bottom of the basin into the reservoir, said disk having a central opening through which water can be drawn by way of said member to the top surface of the disk, the rim having openings and guide vanes adjacent the openings to enable water discharged from the periphery of the disk to pass through the last-named openings into the basin.

3. A humidifier comprising a cabinet, a reservoir to contain water being spaced from the walls of said cabinet, means for establishing a flow of dry air between said walls and said reservoir, said reservoir having an opening in its top, a basin having a cover over said opening, a centrifugal disk above the basin, a tubular member attached to the disk and extending down into the reservoir through an opening in the bottom of the basin, a motor to turn said disk and said member, and a plate resting on the bottom of the basin supporting said motor.

4. A humidifier comprising a cabinet, a reservoir to contain water being spaced from the walls of said cabinet, means for establishing a flow of dry air between said walls and said reservoir, said reservoir having an opening in its top, a basin having a cover over said opening, a centrifugal disk above the basin, a tubular member attached to the disk and extending down into the reservoir through an opening in the bottom of the basin, a motor to turn said disk and said member, and a plate resting on the bottom of the basin supporting said motor, said plate having a rim with openings and guide vanes adjacent the openings.

5. A humidifier comprising a cabinet, a reservoir to contain water being spaced from the walls 'motor resting on said plate.

the reservoir through an opening in the bottom of the basin, a motor to turn said disk and said member, a plate resting on the bottom of the basin supporting said motor, and a cover for said LEO KRESSER. 

